Milwaukee Academy of Science boys basketball team wins program's first title with gritty 57-54 victory over Freedom
MADISON - For the first time in program history, Milwaukee Academy of Science boys basketball has a won a WIAA gold ball.
The Novas defeated Freedom, 57-54, in the WIAA Division 3 boys state basketball title game at the Kohl Center on Saturday. It was the third WIAA state tournament appearance for MAS in four seasons.
In 2022, the Novas lost 55-45 to Roncalli in the D4 state title game. The following year MAS made it back to state, but fell by a 93-65 margin to West Salem in the D3 semifinal. Another promising bid in 2024 was derailed by a sectional semifinal run-in with eventual D3 state champion St. Thomas More.
After three years of near misses, the sun finally shined on the Novas. MAS head coach Agape Keys thanked God and gave kudos to Freedom for a title game that was competitive to the very end.
"We had to fight today, we had to show some real resiliency," Keys said. "It's different winning the championship, and I know for us to be on this side of the playing field and them be on the other side, I feel like they're still champions too. They played a real good game."
Few fought harder or gave more to the cause than Devin Brown, who led the Novas with 17 points and 19 rebounds despite missing the final five minutes of the game. While defending 6-foot-8 Donovan Davis, who Brown held to four second-half points after a 13-point first half, Brown came down awkwardly on a previously fractured left foot he said was not fully healed.
"I'm in a little pain right now, but I just wanted a gold ball. It was worth it," Brown said. "It wasn't 100% I would say, about 90. I rushed it to just come back and be with my team and win the state championship, but it will be OK."
Coach Keys shifted to a guard-heavy lineup after Brown's exit with 4:59 remaining, with D'Anthony Brown taking the floor for Devin in the paint. Devin Brown's four-year batterymate, Jamarion Batemon, reminded teammates they have been in similar situations before as the Novas clung to a 52-46 advantage.
"It just gave me another reason why I got to get it done," Batemon said of Brown's injury. "He couldn't finish out, so I'm like, 'Make it worth it. Make that injury going as hard as you can worth it to get the win.' "
Freedom inched closer on layups by Drew Kortz and Davis to get within 55-50 with 1:27 remaining, followed by another Kortz layup with 59 seconds remaining. After a jump ball with possession favoring the Irish on the ensuing MAS inbound, Kortz knocked down a jumper to pull within 55-54 with 26.1 remaining. Amare Jackson scored a layup with 19 seconds left on a fast break to pull the lead back out to a full possession, before a close call with 10 seconds left all but clinched things for the Novas.
Block or charge? #wiaabbpic.twitter.com/oevNGeGdVs
— Zac Bellman Ⓜ️ (@ZacBellman_WNY) March 22, 2025
Kortz, who had 29 points for the game, drove the lane and drew a charge on contact with Novas guard Deuce Burkes. Freedom head coach Andrew Gibbons was asked about the close call after the game.
"We talk about things we can control, things we can't," Gibbons said. "Doesn't really matter if we agree with it, that was the call and we came up short."
Jackson missed the front-end of a one-and-one on the ensuing MAS possession, giving Freedom one last shot with nine seconds remaining. Irish senior AJ Wesoloski put up a last-second three that came up short of the basket, clinching the Novas' four-year ascent to the D3 state title.
Batemon followed Brown with 16 points, with Jackson adding 10, Agape Keys Jr. scoring seven, Burkes with six and D'Anthony Brown adding one.
Coach Keys said Saturday's title was the culmination of years of hard work, particularly for seniors Batemon, Brown, Jackson and Keys Jr..
"These kids coming from inner city Milwaukee, we all know it's not promising for kids of their ages every day," Keys said. "For them to wake up and say, 'Hey, I want to play basketball. Hey, I want to be a 4.0 student, I want to go play college basketball.' That's a (difficult) decision to make, you know, in the city."
Devin Brown was relishing the moment through the pain he was experiencing well after postgame festivities.
"Winning a state championship, period, is an awesome feeling, but especially since we lost in this championship freshman year and then next year we came up again and lost," Brown said. "We know how it feels to lose. This year, we were like, 'OK, we really got to buckle down, do whatever it takes to get over the hump,' and we did it this year."
Heroic effort for Devin Brown and the Milwaukee Academy of Science Novas finally gets it done. WIAA D3 state champions. pic.twitter.com/S8esiNfc75
— Zac Bellman Ⓜ️ (@ZacBellman_WNY) March 22, 2025
The Novas reached the state final with a 65-61 win over Lake Mills on Thursday in the state semifinal. Batemon hit a go-ahead three to make it 63-61 with just under two minutes to play, before Devin Brown clinched the win with a pair of free throws in the final seconds.
On a team full of heroic performers in key moments, coach Keys said the lasting message to future teams will be to be a difference maker.
"Who gonna be a difference maker? You can dunk, you can shoot, you can slide ... who gonna be the difference maker? And that's gonna be the way the program is gonna be from here on out: Who gon' make a difference?" Keys said. "That's it, to get us from here to there. Who's gonna embrace the complications to get us from here to there. That's gonna be the message moving forward."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: High school boys basketball: Milwaukee Academy of Science wins title
Topics
-
Freedom boys basketball captures silver at state
(WFRV) – The #1 Freedom boys basketball team fell in the division three state championship game on Saturday afternoon 57-54 to #2 Milwaukee Academy of Science. Senior Drew Kortz scored 29 points, ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Wauwatosa West captures first state boys basketball title in OT thriller over Racine Park
Wauwatosa West won its first state boys basketball title in program history with a 60-57 OT victory over Racine Park in the Division 2 title game.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Laurel boys basketball wins first title in 45 years
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (DC News Now) — On Saturday in College Park, the Laurel boys basketball team beat Whitman, 68-53 in the MPSSAA 4A final — for the Spartans, it’s their first state title victory ...Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16 -
Class 3A boys basketball: Millwood defeats Cascia Hall to win state championship
Millwood won its 18th state championship in program history with a 60-57 win over Cascia Hall in the Class 3A boys basketball title game Saturday at State Fair Arena.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15 -
Chadwick girls basketball wins first Missouri Class 1 state championship in 20 years
Class 1 belongs to Chadwick! Both Chadwick programs won state championships, becoming the first Springfield area school to sweep titles since 2003.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16 -
NYSPHSAA boys basketball championships: Woodlands takes on Marcellus for Class B title
The Falcons are back after falling in the semifinals a year ago and are playing for the program's first title since 2015.Yahoo Sports - 16h -
How Hillsboro wrote its name in Metro Nashville history with program's first TSSAA basketball state title
Hillsboro etched its name into Metro Nashville public school history Saturday with a TSSAA boys basketball state championship win over Oak Ridge.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Class 4A boys basketball: Weatherford defeats Crossings Christian to win first state title
Weatherford beat Crossings Christian 46-44 for the Class 4A boys basketball state title Saturday at State Fair Arena.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15 -
Class 6A boys basketball: Deer Creek defeats Tulsa Union to win first state title since 1974
Deer Creek won its first state championship since 1974 after defeating Tulsa Union 78-69 in the Class 6A boys basketball title game Saturday night at State Fair Arena.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Commander Peter Bruce, naval engineer and racing yachtsman who sailed to win
Commander Peter Bruce, who has died aged 83, was a naval engineer, accomplished skier and a highly successful racing yachtsman.Yahoo Sports - 22m -
Nuggets host the Bulls for out-of-conference matchup
Yahoo Sports - 24m -
San Antonio faces Detroit on 3-game win streak
Yahoo Sports - 24m -
Golden State visits Miami following Wiggins' 42-point game
Yahoo Sports - 24m -
Boston plays Sacramento, looks for 5th straight road win
Yahoo Sports - 24m
More in Sports
-
Commander Peter Bruce, naval engineer and racing yachtsman who sailed to win
Commander Peter Bruce, who has died aged 83, was a naval engineer, accomplished skier and a highly successful racing yachtsman.Yahoo Sports - 22m -
Nuggets host the Bulls for out-of-conference matchup
Yahoo Sports - 24m -
Golden State visits Miami following Wiggins' 42-point game
Yahoo Sports - 24m -
San Antonio faces Detroit on 3-game win streak
Yahoo Sports - 24m -
Portland faces Cleveland in non-conference matchup
Yahoo Sports - 24m